Skin
by Polaris'05
Summary: Prom is fast approaching for high school seniors Bo and Sarah Beth. But when something happens that threatens to tear Sarah Beth’s life apart, how can Bo Duke show her that he will always love her, no matter what? A Hazzard love story… COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is another story born of insomnia... it's based on the Rascal Flatts song, Skin. _

_Also, I'm kinda hazy on the exact ages that the cousins are supposed to be, but for the purposes of this story, Luke's already in Vietnam, Bo's a senior in high school, and Daisy already graduated._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Duke family or the song this story was inspired by._

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**Skin**

At that exact moment in Bo Duke's life, things could not have been more perfect. This realization was the only thing running through his mind as he hiked up the ridge, chatting and laughing with his friend Cooter, his cousin Daisy, and his girlfriend, Sarah Beth. Sarah Beth, his girlfriend for the better part of a year, and the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Sarah Beth, for her part, felt equally lucky to be alive that day. She had only lived in Hazzard for a little over a year. Her family had moved in from Atlanta during the summer, and she had reluctantly began her senior year of high school at Hazzard High.

With Bo Duke.

Sarah Beth had had her doubts about Hazzard when they first moved. Coming from a big city like Atlanta, she had half expected to find the boys in small town Hazzard to be big, dumb, and thoroughly unexciting. A mistake, of course, that she very quickly realized she had made. Bo Duke had caught her eye the very first day of class, along with the eye of every other girl in the school. Who could resist that mischievous grin, those gorgeous blue eyes, and the delightfully wavy blonde hair?

Especially the hair. Even on the first day of class, Sarah Beth wanted nothing more than to run her fingers through his hair and call herself his girl. And so friendly too! He had noticed her on the very first day, too, sitting by herself in the lunch room because she was new and didn't know anyone yet. He had come over and started chatting, and in less than a month, they were dating steadily.

Now it was April, and the single most exciting event for the students of Hazzard High was fast approaching: senior prom. Prom. The dance dominated lunchroom conversation and locker room gossip… who was going with who, who was wearing what, who would be voted queen. Every girl lived and breathed prom from the beginning of March to the end of April, and Sarah Beth was no exception.

"Come on, Sarah Beth, keep up!" Bo called back to her suddenly, breaking her reverie.

"Maybe y'all should slow down," she retorted. Bo, Cooter, and Daisy all just laughed and kept going. Sarah Beth picked up her pace a bit, but was still quite a bit slower than them. She frowned. She hadn't really wanted to go hiking, not being much of an outdoors kind of girl, but she wasn't going to pass up spending time with her boyfriend and her other two friends.

"Cain't y'all slow down for a cotton pickin' minute?" Sarah Beth gasped out again, holding a stitch in her side. She hadn't realized how out of shape she was. It didn't seem like she should have lost her breath so early in the hike. "Y'all, seriously, I need a rest."

From quite a few feet in front of her, the other three all stopped and turned to her in surprise.

"We ain't gone that far yet," Cooter mentioned unhelpfully. "You alright?"

"Just need a rest," Sarah Beth wheezed. Feeling dizzy suddenly, she had to take a step back to catch her balance, not realizing how close she was to the edge of the ridge.

Unfortunately, when she stepped back, there was nothing there.

With a shriek, Sarah Beth waved her arms frantically, trying to catch herself before falling hard on her side and rolling backwards to the bottom of the hill. Landing flat on her back with the wind knocked out of her, Sarah Beth could do nothing but lay there, immobile, as her vision began swimming in and out of focus.

"Ow," she groaned, putting a hand to her pounding head.

"Sarah Beth!" Bo yelled, hurrying down the slope to help his girlfriend to her feet. "Sarah Beth, you alright?"

Sarah Beth winced, trying not to yell out in pain as she stood up. Glancing down, she was surprised to see that several large, purple bruises had already formed within seconds of the fall.

"I'm… I'm fine," she said painfully. Bo looked at her, worry lining his face. He was about to argue the point when Sarah Beth's legs suddenly buckled underneath her. Bo caught her just before she hit the ground, and glanced around, wondering what to do.

"Bo, is she ok?" Cooter called down from the top of the incline where he and Daisy were watching in concern.

"I don' think so!" Bo yelled back. "Gimme a hand here!" As his cousin and his best friend came down the hill, he turned back to Sarah Beth. "Sarah Beth, you're gonna be fine, ok? We're gonna get ya to Doc Appleby."

"No, no, I'm fine," Sarah Beth insisted. "Please, Bo, I don' wanna ruin your hike…" Bo ignored her protests and pulled her back up to her feet, slinging one of her arms over his shoulders as Cooter appeared to take her other side.

"No, don't-" Before she could argue any further, Sarah Beth suddenly started coughing. Bo twisted towards her, trying to see what the problem was, but she couldn't stop.

"Sarah Beth?" Bo asked nervously, motioning for Cooter to help her sit back down on the ground. "Sarah Beth?"

Sarah Beth could barely hear him. Before long the coughs turned into wheezing as she gasped for breath. As she struggled to get her breath back, Sarah Beth suddenly realized how light headed she was. It was the last thought she had before passing out without warning.

**01 01 01**

"Well, Doc?" Bo asked quietly. He, Daisy, and Cooter were crowded around Doctor Appleby as he examined Sarah Beth. She had woken up as they had pulled into the Doc's driveway. They had been forced to practically drag her inside once she realized what was going on and argued profusely that she was fine.

"No broken bones," Doctor Appleby finally announced. "And yer lungs sound clear. Sarah Beth, it's possible the wheezin' an' passin' out were just 'cause of the stress from the fall."

"There, ya see?" Sarah Beth shot at Bo. "I'm fine."

"We just wanted to make sure," Bo answered defensively. "I'm glad you're ok."

"You said the bruises came right away?" Doctor Appleby interrupted suddenly, scribbling in his notebook. Sarah Beth nodded. The doctor scrutinized her carefully, looking thoughtful.

"I'd like ya to come back in about a week, alright?" he said at last. "Just for a follow up to make sure everythin's ok."

"Ok," Sarah Beth sighed. "Thanks, Doc."

Swinging off the examining table, Sarah Beth stalked outside, followed by her friends. She really hadn't wanted to go to the doctor… not because she knew she was fine, but because for quite some time now she had begun to suspect that she was not. She knew, of course, that if something _was _wrong, it would be better to catch it early, but right now she was living happily in her state of denial.

But every day it was getting harder and harder to deny. She had been getting tired much easier than she had ever before. She had begun getting bruises easier too… simply banging her arm on a desk as she sat down would now leave large, mottled bruises where before it would have merely been sore for a few minutes. And the headache... the headache that just wouldn't go away... She was already worried, and it didn't help that Bo was starting to notice, too. Her own fears she could hide from, but there was no avoiding Bo's concern.

Nearly a week later, she unwisely decided to wear a short skirt to school. Bo, being the sweet protective boyfriend that she loved him for, immediately noticed that the bruises from the tumble she had taken had not only failed to disappear, but even to fade at all. At first, he decided not to mention it as she climbed into Uncle Jesse's pick up to sit beside him that morning.

"Mornin', Bo," she greeted him cheerfully.

"Mornin', Sarah Beth," he answered, flashing his grin at her before sliding slowly out of her driveway. He always drove slower and more carefully when he was in view of her house, just in case Sarah Beth's parents happened to be watching out the window, but as soon as he hit the main road he would open the truck up, as much as it would go.

"Don't worry," Sarah Beth said with a laugh as she noticed his unnaturally responsible driving. "Mama and Daddy ain't home today."

"Really?" Bo asked slyly, raising an eyebrow at her, making her giggle that adorable little giggle that he loved so much.

"Don't even think about it," she said, slapping his arm lightly. "We ain't playin' hooky today. We got a history test that you cain't afford to miss, an' you know it."

Bo sighed regretfully, but he knew his girlfriend and part-time conscience was right. Affectionately, he rumpled up her hair just to hear her shriek at him in mock anger. As he turned to smile at her again, he couldn't help but notice how much paler she was getting, even though they spent plenty of time out in the sun.

Again, he decided not to say anything, at least not until later. But for a guy like Bo, waiting until later usually didn't last for very long, and he couldn't keep his curiosity in check.

"Sarah Beth," he said cautiously later that day, as they sat together at lunch. "Ya still got them bruises on your legs."

"So what?" Sarah Beth asked crossly. She'd much rather talk about prom then her possible health conditions, not to mention that the headache that had been growing steadily for the past week was driving her mad and making her more irritable than usual.

"And you got more on your arms now. Ya been to see Doc again?"

"No," she sighed. Why couldn't he leave well enough alone? "I'm fine."

Bo hesitated, having picked up on how touchy Sarah Beth was getting whenever he mentioned the subject. "Sarah Beth, I think ya oughtta go see him. Them bruises oughtta be gone by now, but they ain't."

"I'm fine, Bo!" Sarah Beth snapped. "I gotta go… I got gym class." She jumped to her feet, hauling her tray off with a huff as Bo watched her leave, a worried look on his face.

Gym class. Sarah Beth had never been the most athletic girl in the class, but today she felt particularly uncoordinated. The rope that they were supposed to be climbing was a larger obstacle than it should have been.

"Sarah Beth, are you ok?" the gym teacher asked her, watching in concern as Sarah Beth tried and failed yet again to get more than a few feet above the floor before her arms simply gave out. "Do ya need some water?"

Shaking her head, Sarah Beth simply sat down on the ground where she was. Something was wrong… she was pale and shaking, out of breath and having to gasp for air. Why was she this tired, when she hadn't even gotten up the rope yet?

"Why don't you go see the nurse?" the gym teacher suggested, kneeling down next to Sarah Beth. "You don' look good… maybe you should call your parents to come get ya."

"My... parent's... ain't home. I... came to school with... Bo Duke," she managed to get out between her deep breaths. She didn't like the thought of letting her boyfriend see her like this, but it didn't look she had much of a choice. Part of her wanted him to force her to see the doctor, because she knew she didn't have the courage to do it on her own.

Nodding, the gym teacher called to another student, asking her to find Bo Duke to come and take Sarah Beth home. Sarah Beth closed her eyes, focusing on breathing… in and out, in and out, in and out… one breath at a time, just staying alive.

She didn't have long to wait, of course, before Bo was there. Bo, snapping at the crowd of girls around her to give her some room. Bo, picking her up off the ground like she weighed no more than a baby. Bo, packing her into the truck and taking her, not home, but straight to the doctor like she had known he would.

_TBC_

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_A/N: So, what do you think so far? Leave me reviews!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Reviews make me happy..._

_Disclaimer: Not mine, the Dukes or the song. _

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"Sarah Beth?"

Sarah Beth could hear the voice calling her name, but she didn't want to get up. It would be her parents calling her, telling her to wake up and get ready for school. But she was so warm and comfortable where she was…

"Sarah Beth, are you awake, baby?"

She sighed and curled up tighter. That was her mother's voice alright. A hand suddenly pulled the hair back out of her face, gently tucking it behind her ear. Sarah Beth frowned, her eyes still closed, confused. That was Bo's hand. She'd know it anywhere. Why on earth was he in her bedroom?

"Open your eyes, sweetheart," Bo whispered in her ear. Obeying him, Sarah Beth squinted up against the bright lights that she didn't remember putting in her room. Her mom and dad were standing there, looking down on her with worry clearly showing on their lined faces.

"Mama? Daddy? What's goin' on?" she asked in confusion. She tried to sit up in bed, when she suddenly realized exactly what was going on. "Oh," she sighed, before they could answer. This wasn't her bedroom at all, but Doc Appleby's office. And she wasn't in bed, she was laying in Bo's arms, from where he had carried her in and refused to set her down. She must have passed out on the way over, and apparently either Bo or the doctor had called her parents.

"You had trouble breathin' again," Bo said, confirming her suspicions. "Ya passed out on the way over here. Doc called your folks in… they just got here."

"How long was I out?" Sarah Beth asked, wondering if she could still write this off as nothing.

"Not long," Doctor Appleby said, smiling down at her. "But now that yer awake, do ya think you can stand up?"

Nodding, Sarah Beth reluctantly allowed Bo to help her stand. She swayed slightly, still feeling off balance and weak, but his strong hands held on to her shoulders, keeping her from falling. Sarah Beth glanced at her parents, wondering how much exactly they had been told. From the looks on their faces, she suspected they had been told everything by one of them.

"Sarah Beth, I'm gonna take some blood from your arm," Doctor Appleby told her as he pulled some things from the drawer. "Why don't ya sit down over on the table over there?"

"Why're ya takin' blood?" she asked as Bo and her father helped her up onto the table.

"I wanna send a sample down to a bigger hospital in Atlanta," he explained. "They got equipment there that I don't. I think ya might have a problem, but I don't wanna do anythin' until I'm sure."

As he was talking, the doctor tied a rubber tube around the upper part of Sarah Beth's arm, then pushed a needle into the crook of her arm that allowed blood to drip out and fill a tube. Sarah Beth winced slightly as the needle went in, clutching her father's hand while Bo rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"All done," the doctor said with a comforting smile. "I'm gonna send this off right away. You should be hearin' from Atlanta in a few days."

"Doctor," Sarah Beth's mother said hesitantly. "How… how bad do you think it is?"

Doctor Appleby paused, torn between not wanting to raise a false alarm and not wanting Sarah Beth and her family to be caught off guard if what he suspected was true. Finally, he settled for a comfortable compromise.

"I really can't say for sure. It could be serious, it could be nothin'. Either way, it's better to find out now than later." He turned to Bo, who looked like he wasn't sure whether or not he was intruding. "Ya did good, gettin' her here, Bo."

Sarah Beth's dad nodded. "Thank ya, son. We appreciate what ya done for her."

"Yes, sir," Bo answered automatically, still not feeling quite comfortable. Figuring Sarah Beth's parents would likely take her home, Bo backed out and quickly made his escape from the room.

As Bo tore off down the road in the truck, he heaved a sigh of relief to be free from the doctor's office. He was a light-hearted guy… the situation was getting too serious, too tense. He had watched Doctor Appleby's face. The man was worried more than he was letting on… Bo could tell, because Doc looked exactly like his cousin, Luke, did whenever he was steering carefully around bad news.

Because what Luke and the doctor never realized, Bo thought, was that hiding fear defeated its own purpose. If Doctor Appleby was trying to hide his concern, that only proved to Bo beyond his previous doubts that there was something to be concerned about.

Bo wasn't noted for being the smartest of the three Duke cousins, but he was hardly slow-witted. Doctor Appleby was worried about Sarah Beth's health, and he had all but said it was a bigger problem than he could fix, if he was referring her to a larger, city hospital. And if it was more than even Doc Appleby could handle... well, Bo didn't want to think about how serious that was.

Even though there were a couple hours of class left that Bo could have gone back to, he decided he'd rather just skip the rest of the school day. Driving aimlessly around, without paying attention to where he was going, Bo suddenly found himself pulling into Cooter's garage. His friend looked up from the engine he had been working on in surprise.

"Bo? Why ain't you at school?" Cooter asked, wiping his hands off on a rag. Bo slumped down in a chair next to him.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he muttered. He wanted to talk, for sure, but about anything else. Anything to make him forget, for a while at least. "So, how's business?"

Cooter studied his friend. Obviously, Bo was upset about something, and he wanted his mind taken off of whatever the problem was. He had been around Bo long enough to know that Bo didn't bother hiding his emotions, or his problems. If it was bad enough that even Bo didn't want to talk about it, something must be really wrong. Shrugging, Cooter indulged him, not asking questions. Chatting instead about the garage, NASCAR, and the racing car that Bo and Luke wanted to build, Cooter soon had Bo smiling and joking at ease.

"I don't know, buddyro," Cooter grinned much later. "The new Firebirds ain't bad, I guess, but I kinda like the Chargers, myself." He glanced down at his watch. "It's probably safe to head home now, Bo," he said, winking. "School'd be out now an' I know Jesse's waitin' for his truck back."

"Thanks, Cooter," Bo said, smiling sheepishly. "Look, um… I'd appreciate it if ya didn't mention to Uncle Jesse that I was here, instead of school."

"Don't worry," Cooter said with a laugh. "Me an' Luke played hooky more'n once an' Jesse never found out. At least, we don' think he did..." Waving Bo off, Cooter watched him go, still wondering what was wrong but happy that his friend was at least feeling better.

Sarah Beth, on the other hand, felt anything but better. Her parents had taken her straight home, enforcing the doctor's recommendation that she get some rest. Dutifully, she had gone up to her room and laid down on her bed, but nothing could make her relax. Like Bo, she had picked up on Doctor Appleby's hedging around the truth. She closed her eyes. Pushing the thoughts from her mind, Sarah Beth thought instead of dancing. Dancing in the fields. Without any worries, without any cares.

Over the next few days, Sarah Beth found her mind continuously going back to dancing. She had found it to be a fairly decent remedy to her constant worrying. Everything would be ok. At least, that's what she told her parents, so they would let her go back to school the following morning, pale and tired. That's what she told Bo when she climbed up into the truck, bruised and sore. That's what she told her teachers and other friends at school. She was fine.

And she could fake it, too. As long as she didn't over-exert herself, she wouldn't be reduced to wheezing and gasping for every breath. The bruises that still hadn't faded and the new ones that kept popping up could be hidden by jeans and longer sleeved shirts. It was all so easy to cover up, so easy to explain away… except to Bo.

Subconsciously, Sarah Beth found herself distancing herself from Bo. It was practically impossible to pretend like nothing was wrong when he was constantly asking her how she felt, insisting that she sit down at the slightest cough, and watching her with those worry-filled eyes. Of course, she had no way of knowing, but those beautiful blue eyes were filled with more than just worry.

It was a logical progression in his mind. Sarah Beth had some kind of medical problems. Those problems had started after falling down the ridge. She had been on the ridge because they were hiking… and she hadn't even wanted to go. She had been there because he had practically dragged her along. He had figured it out at Doctor Appleby's office…this was all his fault.

But Sarah Beth didn't see the regret and sorrow in his eyes because she stopped looking at him to avoid the pity. Except for Bo, she could still pretend she was ok. He was her unwanted connection to reality. In the few days before the hospital called, Sarah Beth found that her ability to deny any problem was not weakening, but, in fact, getting stronger. She was fine. Nothing was wrong.

And then the hospital called.

Her father took the call. They didn't explain a darn thing over the phone, but would they all please come in immediately? Yes, sir, they said, immediately, they'd found the problem.

**01 01 01**

Sarah Beth heaved a sigh and picked up an old magazine from the table by the chairs. She could feel her parents eyes watching her as she mindlessly thumbed through the magazine, looking at the pages but seeing nothing. She knew they were worried about her… not just about what the doctor was going to say, but how she was going to take it.

Well, she would be just fine. She could take it. She'd be ok… really. Fine. Just… fine. Sarah Beth sighed again. Her denial was weakining. The harder she tried to convince herself, the faster she could feel herself losing her mind with fear. Maybe if she just didn't think about it at all…

But hospital waiting rooms were not designed to provide relief. The old magazines and the TV set which played infomercials too quietly to be heard anyways were hardly distracting enough to keep one's mind from wandering. She had nothing to do but sit and ponder how her life would change within the next hour.

The next hour… but she had already been waiting for so long. How typical, they were requested to come immediately, and then left waiting anyways. True, the clock on the wall told her that she and her parents had been in the waiting room for less than twenty minutes. But the clock was lying, of course. The minute hand was traveling so slowly that time may have stopped all together.

The silence of the waiting room was so deafening she thought she might actually go crazy. Why didn't the doctor come? How could he make her sit and worry like this? And why didn't someone turn the damn TV off?

"Sarah Beth?" her mom asked quietly. "Ya doin' alright, baby?"

Sarah Beth jumped at her mother's voice. Both her parents were still watching her with those careful eyes, as if they feared they might break her just by looking too hard.

_Doin' alright? _she thought to herself. _Hell no, I'm not alright. I'm scared to death. _

"I'm fine," she gave the practiced lie with a smile. Her dad eyed her, disbelievingly, but before he could say anything, the door finally opened.

"Sarah Beth?" a nurse asked kindly. Sarah Beth looked up with nervous eyes and nodded. The nurse smiled reassuringly at her. "Will you please come with me?"

Thrusting her hands into her pockets so they wouldn't see them shaking, Sarah Beth stood. Minutes ago she had wished the doctor would hurry up and tell her the news, but now she would give anything to be sitting in the chair rereading that stupid magazine, happily not knowing. Now that the time had come, she found she really didn't want to be there at all. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Sarah Beth squared her shoulders and headed after the nurse.

The doctor was waiting for them in the examining room. As they entered, he looked up from the file sitting on the table.

"Sarah Beth," he began, looking at her seriously. "There's something wrong in your blood."

"Wrong?" Sarah Beth's mother cut in. "What… what do ya mean, wrong?"

"I'm sorry," the doctor said sincerely. "But between your red blood cells and your white blood cells… something's just not right. Sarah Beth… you have leukemia."

"L-leukemia?" Sarah Beth repeated with a trembling voice. Not this. Not this. "But… ain't that… cancer?"

"Oh, God," her mom cried out as Sarah Beth's father held her close. "Our baby has cancer?"

"I'm afraid so," the doctor answered somberly. "I know it's a lot to take in, Sarah Beth, but we're going to take care of you. There's a new treatment, it's just been approved. We've already had an incredible amount of success with it. Six chances in ten are that if you use this therapy, the cancer won't come back."

"Six out of ten?" Sarah Beth asked faintly. Bo might not pay attention in math class, but she did. Six out of ten was hardly an incredible amount of success, to her figuring.

"It's the strongest treatment there is," the doctor assured her. "And it looks like we caught it in time. Odds are, you're going to end up just fine."

"What… what is this treatment y'all got?" her father asked, trying to stay strong for his wife and daughter.

"It's called chemotherapy," the doctor explained. "Sarah Beth, I'm sorry, but it'll make you lose your hair."

Sarah Beth froze. The doctor continued to explain the process to her family, using large medical words that none of them really understood, but she was oblivious. Lose her hair? Automatically, she reached a hand up and touched her long, caramel colored curls, as if to reassure herself that it was still there. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair!

She knew this was the least of her concerns now, but she _was_ a girl, after all. Why did she have to be so sick _and_ lose her pride at the same time? Why?

She was scared to death. Cancer. She had cancer. Closing her eyes, Sarah Beth let her mind drift free, trying to think of anything but what she had just heard. As if somehow, not acknowledging the fact would take it all back, make it not true.

She found herself dreaming, inevitably, of her and Bo. She blocked out the doctor's voice and imagined herself with her boyfriend, dancing out in the fields. Without any cares. With the soft wind, blowing through her hair. Her hair… dear God, she was going to lose her hair.

**01 01 01**

Bo was getting impatient. It was the last class of the day – math, his worst subject – and the bell was taking its sweet time to ring. All he wanted was to get out of school so he could go see Sarah Beth. No one had been home when he came by to pick her up that morning, and she had never showed up. Bo was worried. Was she sick again, or had the Atlanta hospital called? What was wrong with her?

And why was she pushing him out? Bo, who was used to getting plenty of attention from girls, could hardly have failed to notice when Sarah Beth began to avoid his eyes. She wouldn't look at him, she had stopped speaking to almost anyone, and they hadn't spent any time together since the second trip to the doctor. Was she angry with him? Had she also figured out that he was responsible for whatever was wrong?

"Beauregard?" the teacher called. Bo's head snapped up at the sound of his detested full name. The entire class was staring at him, apparently waiting for him to answer whatever question he had been asked. Bo frowned and glanced quickly at the blackboard, which was full of things that he neither understood nor cared about.

"Well, Bo?" the teacher repeated, impatiently. Bo glared at him. His math professor was always picking on him to answer questions, knowing that he didn't pay attention. But usually, Bo had Sarah Beth sitting at the front of the class, holding up the answer on a piece of paper behind the teacher's back.

"Four," Bo answered with a shrug, pulling a number out of the air.

"That's right," the teacher said, blinking in surprise. "So, class, if X equals four and Y is the sum of-"

Bo smiled in relief as the bell finally rang, cutting off the rest of the teacher's sentence. Not even staying long enough to get the homework assignment, Bo leapt to his feet and bolted for the door. He had to find Sarah Beth.

_TBC_

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_A/N: Please leave reviews if you like the story! Or don't, I guess, I can take those too. But in any case, review! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes or the song._

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Bo was pushing Jesse's truck as hard as he could, making such good time that he made the ten minute trip to Sarah Beth's house in less than five. Remembering at the last minute that her parents might be home, Bo slammed on the brakes just before hitting her driveway. The squealing tires sent chickens dashing for cover, and Bo hoped no one was at the window watching.

Pulling to a stop, Bo hopped out of the truck and headed up to the front door. By the time he reached it, however, his confidence was gone, and he hesitated, his arm raised in preparation to knock. Part of him wanted very strongly to turn around and run away before it was too late. Setting his jaw angrily at himself for his desire to abandon his girlfriend, Bo quickly rapped on the door before he lost his nerve.

It was Sarah Beth's mother who opened the door, looking at him expectantly. Bo blinked. He was so used to Sarah Beth being the one who flung the door open wide, jumping into his arms exuberantly as soon as she saw it was him.

"Hi… um," Bo paused, feeling awkward. "Is… is Sarah Beth… I mean, is she…?"

"Come on in, honey," Sarah Beth's mom invited understandingly. She backed up to let him in, and Bo could see how tired her face was.

"Thanks," Bo said, stepping inside slowly. "So…" He stopped, unable to ask the question.

"Maybe you should let Sarah Beth tell ya," Sarah Beth's father said quietly as he stepped into the room, laying a hand on his wife's shoulder. "She's upstairs."

Bo nodded, more worried than ever at the looks on the parent's faces. Trudging slowly up the stairs to the upper floor, Bo knocked softly on Sarah Beth's bedroom door before pushing it open and peeking in.

Sarah Beth was sitting at her vanity, not moving. She had been sitting there for the last three hours, since returning from Atlanta. At first, she didn't hear Bo come in, but kept staring at her reflection in the mirror, running her fingers absently through her long hair.

"Sarah Beth?" Bo asked cautiously as he sat down next to her. She jumped slightly as she finally noticed his presence.

"Hi, Bo," she said dully, not looking at her boyfriend. She didn't want him to see that she had been crying silently before he had come in, her eyes still wet with tears.

"How ya feelin'?" Bo asked, not wanting to ask the direct question, as he gallantly handed her his handkerchief. Sarah Beth accepted it and dabbed at her eyes. With a sniff, she finally turned to Bo, meeting his eyes for the first time in almost a week.

Bo was shocked to see the change there. She looked so hopeless and frightened, her eyes dulled with fear.

"Sarah Beth, what is it, sweetheart?" he whispered, holding her hands.

"Bo…" Sarah Beth choked. "Bo, the doctors say… the doctors say I got leukemia." She sighed as Bo frowned slightly, not recognizing the word but not wanting to admit it. "I have cancer, Bo."

Bo couldn't speak, but just stared at her, mouth agape. Cancer? How could she have cancer? Things like this just didn't happen…not to people he knew. It couldn't be. The doctor must have been wrong. He had expected it to be something bad but…this? What had he done?

"Cancer?" he finally managed to say out loud.

"They're gonna do some kinda therapy. And… and I'm gonna lose all my hair!" Sarah Beth wailed.

"Lose your hair?" Bo repeated, wishing he had something more helpful to say. He could see that his girlfriend was clearly devastated, and he couldn't blame her. Without thinking, he reached up to touch his own blonde waves. While he might not be fussy about his hair, all the girls seemed to love it. Girlfriend or not, there was nothing better than tossing his hair out of his eyes as he walked down the hall and hearing them all giggle. He couldn't imagine not having any.

Of course, Luke had lost his, too. Not from any sickness, but for the marines. Bo remembered when his older cousin had come home one day, the day before leaving for Vietnam. His dark hair had been shorn down into the military cut that seemed so wrong for him. Bo stared at Sarah Beth, trying to picture her with that hair cut. Hmm… Luke's hair on Sarah Beth…

Bo couldn't help it. His distraught mind needed some comic relief, and the sudden image of a strange hybrid of his tough, older cousin and his sweet, pretty girlfriend that sprang unbidden to his mind was enough to amuse anyone. Without even thinking about it, Bo started to laugh, but Sarah Beth didn't know what he was laughing at. Instantly, her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, no, Sarah Beth!" Bo exclaimed, realizing too late how insensitive he sounded. "No, I wasn't laughin' at you, sweetheart!"

"Just get outta here, Bo Duke!" Sarah Beth yelled tearfully, yanking her hands out of his. Bo jumped to his feet as she also stood and started shoving him towards the door. "Get out an' leave me alone! I hate you!"

Shocked, Bo let himself be pushed out of the bedroom and the door slammed with so much force he could practically feel the entire house shake. He stood, speechlessly staring at the bedroom door inches away from his nose.

"Aw, Sarah Beth," he whispered sadly, resting his forehead against her door, practically consumed in guilt.

"She don't mean that, son," a voice said from behind him. Bo jumped and spun around to see both Sarah Beth's parents standing at the top of the stairs with a sad look on their faces.

"She's just upset, is all," Sarah Beth's father continued. "She don't hate ya."

"I didn' mean to go upsettin' her," Bo said quietly, hanging his head. "I'm real sorry…"

"Ain't nothin' to apologize for, son. Just give her some time to come to grips with this. It ain't her talkin' right now… it's the cancer."

Bo nodded. He didn't say what he was thinking, that Sarah Beth had every right to hate him. "Yes sir," he muttered. "Reckon I could come back after school tomorrow?"

Sarah Beth's mother smiled kindly at him. "That'd be right sweet of ya, Bo. Sarah Beth ain't gonna be back in school anymore, but they said she could still graduate with the rest of y'all, if she can keep up with the class work. If ya could bring her the work an' take it back to the teachers, we sure would appreciate it."

"Yes ma'am," Bo agreed with a smile that he didn't quite feel. He supposed that was the least he could do, given what he had apparently done to his girlfriend. "I can do that." He stood there awkwardly for a minute, wanting desperately to run back to Sarah Beth and hold her close, but he knew he couldn't. Nodding to Sarah Beth's parents, he turned and walked away.

Needing some time to deal with what he had just learned, Bo didn't go immediately home. He considered going back to Cooter's garage, as he had the other day, but decided against it. This wasn't something that idle chitchat about racing and cars could take his mind off of. He needed to be alone, so he stopped at the fishing hole for a while.

He sat on the water's edge, tossing rocks into the pond and wishing Luke was back home for him to talk to. It was all he could do to wrap his own mind around this problem, so he couldn't even begin to imagine how hard this was for Sarah Beth. His poor girl… she must be so scared. And it was his fault. God, he needed Luke.

"Guess I'd better get home," Bo muttered to himself as the sun sank a bit further over the horizon, casting a shadow onto the ground where he was sitting. He had lost track of time while stumbling his way through his thoughts. Dragging himself up slowly, Bo got back into the pickup truck and headed back towards the farm, still feeling lower than he had ever felt.

By the time he made it back up to the farm, Bo became fully aware of just how late it was. He had missed supper for sure, and he was going to be in trouble. His fears were confirmed when he saw Daisy sitting on the front porch, watching the road anxiously. As the truck came into view, he watched as she jumped to her feet and run inside, returning momentarily with Uncle Jesse.

"Boy, ya mind tellin' me where in tarnation you been?" Jesse demanded angrily as Bo stepped down out of the truck. "Ya missed supper, I've been sittin' there worried to death wonderin' what had happened to ya! Not to mention I needed the truck today an' couldn't finish the chores! You'd best have a darn good explanation!"

"Uncle Jesse…" Bo began, his voice wavering slightly. "Uncle Jesse…"

"Well, spit it out, boy," Jesse said, his anger cooling off when he saw the look on his nephew's face. It seemed like something was seriously wrong.

"Uncle Jesse… Sarah Beth's got cancer."

A pin drop could have been heard in the stunned silence that followed.

"Sarah Beth… cancer?" Daisy repeated, horrified. "Oh, Bo! That's terrible! She's so young, too! Cain't the doctors do nothin' to help her?"

"They'll do what they can," Bo answered sadly. "Sarah Beth said … she's gotta have therapy, but she ain't gonna have any hair for a while…"

"Hold on there a second, Bo," Jesse said, laying a hand on Bo's shoulder. He sensed there was more to Bo's anguish than just the sickness. "That ain't all that's botherin' ya, is it?"

Bo hung his head. He could barely stand to say the words, but he needed his Uncle's wisdom to tell him what to do. "Uncle Jesse, this whole thing started after we went hikin' a couple weeks ago. She didn' really wanna go, but I talked her into it, an' that's when she fell an' hurt herself an' she ain't been feelin' good ever since. This all started after that day… if I hadn' made her come with us…"

Uncle Jesse stared at Bo for a minute. Finally he sighed. "Aw, Bo," he whispered, grabbing the youngest Duke in a hug. "Is that what kept ya? Feelin' guilty? Bo, that ain't how it works at all. Ya don't get cancer by fallin' down a hill."

Bo looked at him, hope springing back into his heart. "So… so I didn't… I didn't do this to her?" he asked, holding his breath.

"No, Bo," Jesse answered reassuringly. "If anythin', ya mighta saved her life. If she hadn't fallen down, ya wouldn't've gotten her to the Doc, an' they might not've caught it in time. Ain't none of this your fault, Bo."

Feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Bo gave his uncle the closest thing to a smile as he could manage. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't hurt his girlfriend. Well, not physically anyways…

"An' that ain't all, Uncle Jesse," Bo sighed, his face clouding over again. He briefly explained what had happened and what Sarah Beth had said to him. His uncle nodded understandingly, but Daisy shot him a look that clearly said I'm-not-going-to-yell-at-you-because-I-know-you-already-feel-bad-but-how-could-you-be-so-insensitive?

"What should I do, Uncle Jesse?" he asked, ignoring Daisy's look. "She told me to leave her alone, but I just cain't do that!"

"No, ya can't," Jesse agreed wisely. "She's gonna need ya more than ever, Bo. Her daddy's probably right. She ain't really mad at ya, she's mad at the cancer. Yer just gonna have to be patient with her."

Bo nodded, but didn't feel convinced. He could still see Sarah Beth's face as she yelled at him, her look of desperation and terror haunting his mind. Heading into the farmhouse silently, Bo couldn't help but start to feel low again. Sarah Beth had always been a fighter, a free spirit. Whether it was his fault or not, he was still losing his girl, and there was nothing he could do.

**01 01 01**

For her part, Sarah Beth felt absolutely horrible at the way she had treated Bo. She was still hurt of course. She had expected a variety of different reactions from her boyfriend, but him laughing at her wasn't one of them. Part of her wanted to hate him forever for that, but the rational side of her mind was insisting that Bo deserved another chance.

"Come on, Sarah Beth," she whispered to herself in the darkened bedroom that night. "Ya know Bo ain't never been anythin' but the sweetest guy to ya. He wouldn't hurt ya on purpose an' you know it. Give 'im a chance to explain."

With a sigh, she rolled over in bed, turning so she could stare out the window. From her room she had an unobstructed view of the road leading up to her house. A sudden longing for Bo and his warm, comforting arms filled her heart and she couldn't hold back the tears. She was so scared, and he was so strong. She would have given anything to see him racing that truck up her driveway that minute.

But even after five minutes of watching out the window, praying with all her might to see her boyfriend, Sarah Beth was still alone. Heaving a sigh, she gave up and turned her thoughts back to… well, that disease that she had.

One of her uncles had had that disease. He had been her favorite uncle when she was younger. Then he had gotten sick, wasted away, and died. Dear God, was she going to die? Sarah Beth couldn't stifle the frightened sob. She didn't want to die. She was only just eighteen. How could God have let this happen to her? She was a good person. The worst thing she had ever done was sneak cookies out of the kitchen when her mother wasn't looking. She didn't deserve this!

"Jesus," Sarah Beth prayed fervently, her eyes squeezed tight. "Dear Jesus, please! I don't wanna die! Why're you doin' this to me? What'd I do wrong? Please, dear Jesus, whatever it is, I'll be the best person ever. Make me healthy, God! Please make me healthy, I swear I'll do better! I'll pay attention in church more, an' I won't sass Mama and Daddy anymore… and I'll… I'll do whatever you want! Please, God!"

From their own room, Sarah Beth's parents both lay awake in bed, silently praying similar prayers of their own. Her mother had tears sliding down her cheeks onto the pillow as she heard her daughter crying down the hall, knowing there was nothing she could do to make it better. She laid there and listened for a few minutes before she couldn't take it any more. Sliding quietly out of bed, she went to go comfort her daughter.

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_A/N: Review! Please and thank you!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it took a bit longer than usual to update... exam time, ya know? And, I just had a birthday, yay! sings Happy Birthday. So, ya know what would make an awesome present? Reviews!_

_Thanks to HazzardHusker for her patience and help!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dukes or the song this story is based on. _

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As he had promised, Bo went directly over to Sarah Beth's house after school the next day, bringing with him the homework assignments from all the teachers. At first he felt a little awkward, unsure of how well Sarah Beth would receive his presence. Shaking aside his hesitation, Bo hurried up to the door, set his books on the porch swing, and knocked.

After yesterday, he had been expecting one of Sarah Beth's parents to open the door, and was surprised when she flung it open like she used to. This time, however, there was no ecstatic leap into his arms, no jovial hug, no reaction whatsoever. She simply stood there, pale and thin, and waited.

Bo suddenly realized that he had no idea what to say. He had thought perhaps he could think of something on his way up to her room, but Sarah Beth was suddenly standing in front of him, eyeing him expectantly, and he was completely unprepared.

"Oh," he finally settled for, entirely aware of how dumb that sounded.

Apparently Sarah Beth thought the same. "Oh?" she repeated with a frown. "That's it? Oh?"

"Uh… hi," Bo continued with a nervous smile, wincing inwardly. This wasn't going well.

Sarah Beth stared at him without speaking. She was so incredibly happy to see him, completely overjoyed at the fact that he had bothered to come back at all, but she also felt it was only fair to let him squirm a bit. As his hopeful face fell, however, Sarah Beth was powerless to watch his distress.

"Ya always did have a way with words," she said with a little giggle. Her heart warmed as a look of relief washed over Bo's face and she moved forward to give him a hug. Sarah Beth sighed happily as Bo's warmth folded around her.

"I'm sorry, Bo," she whispered from his chest. Abruptly, Bo broke off the hug and cupped a hand under her chin, tilting her head back so she had to look him in the eyes.

"Ain't nothin' for you to be sorry for, sweetheart," he said earnestly. "I was wrong, and ya had a right to be upset. An' I'm sorry, too."

"Oh, Bo!" a voice from inside said. "I thought that mighta been you." Bo and Sarah Beth broke apart and looked up to see Sarah Beth's mother standing in the doorway. "Sarah Beth, invite him in!" she chastised her daughter. "Would ya like some lemonade, Bo?"

"Yes, thank you," Bo answered politely with a grin, following Sarah Beth and her mother inside. "I brought ya some work to do, too," he mentioned to Sarah Beth, retrieving his books and tossing them onto the kitchen table. Sarah Beth sighed.

"Great," she muttered. "Just what I wanted."

"Sarah Beth," her mother said reproachfully.

Sarah Beth shrugged, but didn't push the issue. Sitting down next to Bo at the kitchen table with two glasses of lemonade, they both started on the day's homework. Bo did his best to explain the work the way the teacher had, but in the end it was really Sarah Beth explaining things to him. Finally, he gave up trying to understand the math homework and opted instead to work on the essay he had to do for his English class and the two sat in silence for a while.

"Bo," Sarah Beth said suddenly, interrupting his frustrated scribbling for his essay. He looked up, grateful for any excuse for a distraction.

"Yeah?"

"I really do appreciate ya bringin' me all this work and stuff," she said slowly. "But… that ain't all I'm missin' by not goin' to school."

Bo didn't say anything, but stared at her, trying to figure out where she was going with this train of thought.

"I was just thinkin', it'd be really great if tomorrow… you could maybe bring me the latest news."

"Ya want me to… what?" Bo asked, not sure if he had heard her right.

"Bring me the latest news," Sarah Beth repeated impatiently. "You know, about prom. Who's goin' with who an' all that."

"Gossip? You want me to bring ya gossip?" Bo frowned. "Well, how the heck am I supposed to do that?"

"It ain't hard, Bo," Sarah Beth said with a sigh. "Just ask around. Someone's gonna know somethin'. Talk to Mary Sue, that girl always has to know everything."

Bo didn't answer, just sat and stared, trying to figure how serious his girlfriend was. She really and truly expected him to go around asking the girls in his class what the latest gossip was?

"Um…"

"Please, Bo?" Sarah Beth asked, her eyes widening in hope and pleading, knowing he would never be able to resist.

"Well… ok…"

Sarah Beth beamed and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Bo. You're the best."

"Better believe it," he grumbled.

**01 01 01**

The next day at school, Bo dutifully tried to find out as much information as he could about the latest prom news. Completely new to the protocols of the rumor mill, Bo at first simply tried asking his friends quietly what they knew, but the other guys could only give him a strange look and shrug.

After that, Bo stuck to only asking other girls about the gossip, but each one was telling him something completely different. Exasperated, Bo finally took Sarah Beth's advice and went to Mary Sue, who was more than eager to oblige.

Bo's head was spinning as Mary Sue happily gave him a lengthy report on each and every person that she knew. He was only half listening after the first two minutes, wondering how on earth girls were able to keep everything straight. And how did they find this all out in the first place? He wasn't sure he'd be able to accurately repeat everything back, but on further contemplation, he decided that was probably the entire point of gossip.

When Bo got to Sarah Beth's house that afternoon with her latest homework and everything he could remember about prom, he found her to be in higher spirits than he had seen her since before the day they went hiking. She greeted him at the door with her usual vigor, her eyes twinkling jovially as he recounted his attempts to dig for information.

Her parents were also smiling as they watched their daughter and her boyfriend sit at the kitchen table, again sipping on lemonade as Sarah Beth patiently tried to explain basic algebra to Bo, who was clearly not understanding a word she was saying.

"What's got ya in such a good mood today?" Bo complained jokingly as Sarah Beth started laughing at him yet again for his poor math skills.

"Nothin'," she shot back, still giggling. "I'm just real happy, is all. The doctor called from Atlanta earlier today… he said I can start therapy by next week. I'm just glad, cause then maybe all of this'll be over by prom. I still got almost a month to go."

Bo grinned at her enthusiasm and turned to pour himself another glass of lemonade. As he did so, he saw out of the corner of his eye as the happy faces on Sarah Beth's parents fell and they glanced at each other in sadness, shaking their heads slightly.

Turning back quickly, Bo forced himself to keep grinning. He knew very little about cancer, but the look on her parents' faces left him little doubt that this was not something that was just going to go away. Sarah Beth was not going to be cured any time soon, especially not by prom. However, he also understood why they were keeping quiet. Sarah Beth looked better than she had in a while, and Bo didn't have it in him to bring her down from her ivory tower of hope.

**01 01 01**

The rest of the week came and went rapidly. Every day after school, Bo would speed over to Sarah Beth's house, bringing her work and gossip as best as he could. He'd stay for an hour or so, making the most out of his time with her. Sometimes they'd sit by the table doing homework together, sometimes they'd sit on the porch and talk, and sometimes they'd simply sit, not speaking but simply being together. After a while, Bo would head home to get the truck back for Jesse and dinner with his own family, but his mind was always on his girl.

The night before Sarah Beth went to start her chemotherapy, Bo ended up staying late into the evening. He had promised her he'd stay with her until she fell asleep, and it had taken quite a while before she finally drifted off. Bo was nearly asleep himself when Sarah Beth's father came in to shake him awake.

"Reckon ya can go home now, son," he was told politely but firmly. It wasn't that he didn't trust the young Duke, but Bo would not be able to accompany Sarah Beth on this next step of her journey.

"Yes, sir," Bo whispered, moving as quietly as he could out of the room. As he descended the stairs and headed out on to the porch, he hesitated before turning around back to Sarah Beth's parents, who were watching him leave.

"Will you… will ya tell her I love her?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," Sarah Beth's mother said with a tired smile. "But I'm sure she already knows."

**01 01 01**

Sarah Beth sighed as she once again sat in the waiting room chairs, flipping through the same magazine. This time wasn't as stressful as the last, of course, but the waiting was wearing down on her nerves nonetheless. She tried to think about prom night and dancing, but her mind kept flitting back to her hair.

The strong denial that she had previously felt over having any condition had dissipated after the last trip to Atlanta, but it had been quickly replaced by a new feeling of denial. Maybe she wouldn't really lose her hair after all. The doctor had said it was only a side effect… side effects weren't guaranteed to happen. She still had a chance.

The brave and happy face that she had left on had completely fooled Bo and her parents, but Sarah Beth knew perfectly well that no therapy could possibly cure her in the next month. If she was to go to prom, her only hope was for the chemo to leave her hair alone. It was only a side effect. It was only a side effect.

"Sarah Beth?"

She looked up, surprised. This time, they had only had to wait less than ten minutes before the smiling nurse came out to get her.

"We're ready for ya, honey," the nurse said. "If you'll please follow me."

Sarah Beth's heart beat a little faster as she headed back. It was only a side effect, it was only a side effect, it was only a side effect. The mantra kept running through her head, giving her the strength to keep walking.

To her surprise, they bypassed the doctor's office and kept going, ending up in a completely different room. Sarah Beth stepped inside, looking around for the doctor.

"Alright Sarah Beth, any last questions before we get started?" the friendly nurse asked kindly.

"Ain't the doctor comin' to do this?" Sarah Beth asked before she could stop herself. The nurse smiled.

"The doctor has other patients, but I'll be takin' care of ya, don't worry."

"Oh," Sarah Beth said softly. "And…is there… is there any chance… that I _won't_ lose my hair?"

"It's a fairly common side effect, Sarah Beth," the nurse explained patiently. "Now, what we're gonna do…"

Sarah Beth sighed. The nurse was perfectly nice, but she hadn't really answered the question. But now she had already gone on to talk some more about the therapy and what would happen and how everything would work, but Sarah Beth had already stopped listening, retreating back into her mind to dream about prom night and dancing with Bo.

"Sarah Beth?" her father suddenly said gently, squeezing her hand and snapping her back to reality. Sarah Beth looked up, seeing everyone watching her. "Honey, ya ready?"

"Oh. Um… yeah, I guess so."

Nodding lightly at her and her parents, the nurse motioned Sarah Beth to lay down on the bed and pulled an IV and a catheter out of the nearby cabinet.

"Alright, then. Here we go."

_TBC_

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_A/N: Don't forget, leave me a birthday present- uh, I mean... review! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thanks to my beta, HazzardHusker! Sorry this chapter was a little late in coming, but classes are finally done, so here it is! I hope everybody enjoys!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dukes, and I don't own the song_

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Life was just a cruel joke. That was all Sarah Beth could say on the matter. Life was a joke being played on them all.

It was nearly two weeks after the first chemotherapy treatment. Two weeks. For two weeks she lived her life on bated breath, watching for any sign that her hair was thinner than usual, that it was coming out more easily than before. For two weeks she spent every spare minute in front of a mirror, obsessing over her hair. For two weeks she worried so constantly that she felt sicker than before, hardly even able to touch her food. For two weeks Bo had put up with her, but she could tell that even his patience was starting to wear thin with her. Two weeks.

And for two weeks, her hair stayed miraculously in place. After fourteen days of psychological torture, Sarah Beth had finally, finally allowed herself to relax. She would be okay. She could go to prom, she had to stay focused on that one point. No matter what happened after that, she still had that shot of normalcy.

A cruel joke.

The nurse had explained that she would have to come for the therapy every week. The nurse had explained that the therapy might make her feel a little sick. The nurse had explained about the port that was put into Sarah Beth's arm for easier access during the therapy. The nurse had explained almost everything that there was to know about the chemo.

But nobody had explained that the side effects would likely not appear for a few weeks after the first treatment.

The denial had been sweet. Oh, how sweet it had been! But finally she had stopped worrying. Finally she had begun to regain a hint of her old spunkiness, because she finally was able to believe that she would be okay.

The heartless joke… the cold, cold irony of life. Just the next morning after Sarah Beth had decided that her hair was safe, she woke up to the cruelest of any surprise. There on the pillow was the evidence that even she could no longer deny.

The shriek of horror and fear brought both her parents running. They burst into Sarah Beth's room together to see her sitting on her bed, tears streaming down her face and huge chunks of hair gathered up in her hands, with more still on the pillow.

"Mama!" Sarah Beth screamed, staring up at her parents with so much hurt and bewilderment written across her face, they could almost feel her dying. "Mama, _WHY?_"

"I'm so sorry, baby," her mom whispered, sweeping across the room to hold her daughter. By instinct, she reached up to stroke Sarah Beth's head, as she had when the girl was younger, and more hair broke off in her hands.

"I'm sorry, baby," she said again, pulling Sarah Beth to her feet. "Come on, honey. We'll cut the rest off, then it'll all be over at once. Come on."

As Sarah Beth and her mother walked from the room, leaning on each other for strength, Sarah Beth's father could only watch, sighing and shaking his head. He could support his family, keep food on their table, protect them from harm… but he was utterly powerless to do a thing for his baby girl, and it was killing him inside.

He had watched Sarah Beth for the last two weeks. He had seen her struggle with her emotions, trying to keep the fear hidden. He had seen the denial, he had seen the anger, and he had seen the veil lifted only the day before. He knew that Sarah Beth had finally decided she was safe… but what had seemed like such a good thing yesterday had backfired. The fact that she had believed she would be alright made this latest blow fall a hundred times harder, and he wasn't sure whether his girl would recover from it at all. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do.

In the bathroom at the end of the hall, Sarah Beth took a deep shuddering breath as her mother finished cutting off all her hair. She stared at the mirror, sinking into a dull stupor.

"Baby, you wanna talk about it?" her mom asked gently, also realizing how terrible of a hit this had been.

Sarah Beth sniffled and shook her head, trying to stop the tears that were pouring down her face. It was all she could do to tear her eyes away from the girl staring back at her in the mirror.

"It'd be a mistake," she whispered.

"What'd be a mistake?"

"To…to…" Sarah Beth couldn't hold back any more. Reaching over, she grabbed her mom up in a tight hug, needing that tender embrace that only a mother could provide. Letting go of everything she'd been keeping penned up since the first day at the hospital, Sarah Beth began bawling her eyes out.

"Shh…" her mother crooned softly. "It's gonna be alright, baby. The doctor said you're gonna be fine. You can beat this."

"It's not that," Sarah Beth sobbed. "My hair! No one's gonna take a girl with no hair to prom, Mama! It'd be a mistake! And… an' I'm scared to death."

As her mother held her tightly, Sarah Beth closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she could see her and Bo dancing, him holding her tightly as they spun around and around without any cares. In her mind's eye, the wind was blowing through her long hair. But only in her mind. There would be no prom. The one remaining chance for something normal in her life had slipped through her fingers, following her long locks of hair into the garbage bin, gone for good.

**01 01 01**

Bo was so glad it was Friday. Only one week before prom, and then one more week before graduation. He could hardly wait! In a particularly good mood, Bo whistled happily to himself as he drove the old pickup towards Sarah Beth's house. He grinned. Sarah Beth had been miserable for the last two weeks up until yesterday, when a change seemed to have come over his girlfriend. It seemed to Bo like she had finally pulled herself together and was willing to move on with life.

For this, Bo was exceedingly grateful. He had never been incredibly patient by nature, and even though he loved Sarah Beth, she had become increasingly unbearable. He had been getting so tired of having to baby her, having to watch what he said because the slightest thing could reduce her to tears. But she seemed to have gotten over it, and Bo was glad.

As he pulled into the driveway and got out of the truck, Bo was slightly surprised to see that Sarah Beth hadn't come out to greet him. She had taken to sitting out on the front porch, waiting for him to pull up so she could jump into his arms, but today she was nowhere in sight.

Biting back a sudden feeling of trepidation, Bo went up and knocked on the door. It was opened not by Sarah Beth, but by her mother, who looked at Bo with sad eyes before gesturing for him to come in without a word.

"Come on in, son," Sarah Beth's father said from the hallway. "You can go on up an' see if she wants to see ya, but she ain't been outta her room all day."

"What… what happened?" Bo asked fearfully. Sarah Beth's parents looked at each other before turning back to Bo.

"We had to cut her hair off this mornin'," Sarah Beth's mother said quietly. "It done started to come out…an' just when Sarah Beth thought she was finally safe from that. She's crushed."

"Oh," Bo said softly. "Maybe… maybe I should come back?" he mentioned, knowing that Sarah Beth would be even more emotional than usual, and not really wanting to have to deal with it.

"Oh, ya don't have to leave, Bo. You're welcome to go try an' talk to her."

Bo sighed to himself. He was obligated to go upstairs, now. Trudging slowly up the steps, Bo knocked on Sarah Beth's door.

"Sarah Beth?" he called softly "You in there?"

When nobody answered, Bo put one hand on the doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door slightly ajar. Without warning, a flash of movement suddenly came into view and the door slammed hard in his face.

"Ow! What-"

Sarah Beth locked the bedroom door behind her, then slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Her face was blank but for the tears that had yet to cease, and she didn't say a word.

"Sarah Beth…" Bo called again. "Sarah Beth, please let me in." He waited a minute for a response, but none came. With a heavy sigh, Bo sat down on the floor outside of her bedroom. He wasn't sure how much good it would do, but he felt like he ought to at least talk to her for a while, even if she wouldn't answer. He stayed there for well over an hour, talking about nothing in particular, trying to reach through to his girl.

For the entire next week, Bo continued to come to Sarah Beth's house after school, as he had been doing. Now instead of sitting on the porch or at the table, however, Bo would head up the stairs and sit outside her bedroom door, which she kept locked at all times now. He had only half expected her to talk to him, after the first day, but by Sunday she was finally speaking again.

Not that it was much of an improvement. No matter how light-hearted Bo tried to keep the conversation, it was obvious that Sarah Beth had sunk into a depression that was worse than Bo had ever seen in her before. It ate away at Bo, wearing down on his nerves as he tried to be cheerful enough for both of them.

Finally on Thursday afternoon, three days before prom, Sarah Beth's mood had hit an all-time low and Bo was getting desperate. He _really_ didn't want to be there… he had turned down an invitation to go hunting with Cooter, Brody, and Enos so he could spend some time with Sarah Beth, who didn't seem to appreciate it at all. No matter where he took the conversation, he couldn't get more than a sullen, one-word answer from her.

"Well, prom is on Saturday," Bo said finally, hoping to cheer her up with the only topic that had ever made her feel better. He jumped as a fist crashed into the door that separated them.

"I ain't goin' to prom, Bo!" Sarah Beth yelled. "Get over it!"

Bo gaped at the closed door, a sudden resentment coursing through him. Get over it? _She_ was the one who was so obsessed with prom, not him! _He_ hadn't been the one making her bring him gossip. _He_ wasn't the one who could actually spend an entire ten minutes talking about nothing other than dresses and corsages and what kind of jewelry would go best. And _he_ was supposed to get over it?

"Sarah Beth, just stop it," Bo snapped, his patience finally wearing out. There was a silence on the other side of the door, but Bo couldn't stop the tirade. "I'm so tired of you feelin' sorry for yourself! I know you're sick, Sarah Beth, but that ain't no excuse for you to treat me like that! I've been tryin' to help ya! I've been holdin' your hand every step of the way!"

"Bo…"

"No, listen to me!" Bo continued angrily. "I've been doin' my best, Sarah Beth! I've been here _every single day_ after school, bringin' ya work. I coulda been out with Daisy an' Cooter an' Enos on the weekends, but I've been here! I've been _more_ than patient, Sarah Beth, an' you ain't been nothin' but sulky and ungrateful! I cain't do this anymore!"

"Bo!"

Ignoring his girlfriend's pleas, Bo got to his feet and stomped angrily down the stairs and out the door, not even looking at Sarah Beth's parents as he brushed by. Getting into the pickup, Bo took off down the road without looking back.

TBC

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_A/N: Uh oh...! Probably only one more chappie after this, folks. Please please please review! Let me know what you think!_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, guys! Also thanks to HazzardHusker, my beta. Here's the last chapter, hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Dukes or Rascal Flatts _

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Chapter 6

"Bo, that you?" Jesse called in surprise as his nephew stormed through the front door, slamming it hard behind him. "You're home early! Everythin' alright?"

"No, it ain't alright!" Bo yelled, a bit louder than he had meant to. "Sir," he finished quieter, wilting slightly under his uncle's frown.

"Anythin' you want to talk about?" Jesse asked easily, putting his newspaper down so he could look Bo in the eye.

"I just…" Bo stopped, his anger disappearing and leaving him feeling completely overwhelmed. "No, Uncle Jesse. Ain't nothin' I feel like talkin' about just now. Think I'll just go an' get started on them chores."

Jesse nodded and watched as his nephew stood up and walked to the door, stopped, then turned around and came back in to sit next to him.

"It's just Sarah Beth… we kinda had another fight."

"About what?"

"It's… it's everything, Uncle Jesse!" Bo admitted with a sigh. "It's this whole thing. She ain't been herself recently an' she's takin' it out on me an' that just ain't fair!"

"Of course she ain't been herself, Bo. Try an' understand what that little gal is goin' through-"

"I _do_, Uncle Jesse," Bo interrupted, frustrated. "I know she's scared, an' I know she's sick. I understand completely."

"Do ya?" Jesse prodded gently. "Do ya really, Bo? When's the last time _you_ was scared for your life? When was the last time ya truly believed you was gonna die?"

"I've been scared for my life before," Bo answered defensively. "Remember that time we was on the way to town an' it was rainin' and Luke was drivin'? Remember how that other guy slid into us an' we nearly got run off down that mountain road? That woulda killed all four of us! I was _plenty_ scared then."

"An' how well did ya handle that, Bo?"

"I…" Bo stopped, realizing what his uncle was getting at, and he hung his head. Bo had only been fourteen at the time, and had never come so close to death before. The shaken boy had lashed out at Luke, hollering at the top of his lungs at his cousin for not watching where he was going, even though it hadn't really been his cousin's fault. Bo had refused to get in the car with Luke for nearly a week afterwards.

"Now, imagine that feelin'… remember that fear," Jesse continued softly. "Imagine how scared you was back then, an' imagine havin' to live with that fear every single day. It'd drive me madder'n a march hare. I don't know how your Sarah Beth has even gone this long without breakin' down completely, but she was bound to eventually."

"I understand all that, Uncle Jesse…" Bo tried again, but he was trying to convince himself as well.

"Truth is, Bo, ya don't." Jesse said, laying a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Ya don't know what she's goin' through, but ya don't have to. Just be patient, Bo."

"But prom's on Saturday," Bo said quietly. "It was all she ever talked about, was gettin' to go dancin' at prom. Now she ain't gonna be able to."

"She still could," Jesse pointed out casually. "If'n the two of you could work this out."

Bo nodded. He knew he should try and make things right, but he wasn't sure Sarah Beth would even want to talk to him now. And he wasn't sure he had cooled off quite enough to put up with more of her sullenness.

"Give her some time, Bo," Jesse said, reading Bo's mind. "It's 'bout dinner time now, anyways, an' it'll be gettin' late after yer chores are done. Why don't ya call her tomorrow after school?"

"You know," Bo muttered, thinking to himself. "I think I will."

**01 01 01**

The next day, Sarah Beth was sitting in front of her mirror, where she spent the majority of her time. She could hear her mother's footsteps coming up the stairs and knew that she was coming to see her. To her own surprise, she found that she didn't mind. Her last conversation with Bo – upsetting as it had been – had forced her to start considering her own attitude.

Quite frankly, she was appalled with herself. Sarah Beth had never been one to hide from the world, nor to admit defeat. Granted, she had never had to deal with anything as serious as the cancer, but she was rather abashed nonetheless. Now, however, her mind felt so much clearer. It was like Bo's tirade, hurtful perhaps, but true, had torn a hole in the shroud that Sarah Beth had been covering the world in, and now she was seeing things the way they really were. It had been a long road to get there, but she was starting to feel almost like she could be happy again. But first, there were people who deserved apologies.

"Sarah Beth?" her mother called softly, knocking on the door. "Sarah Beth, can I come in, baby?"

"Sure," Sarah Beth called back, turning away from the mirror. The bedroom door opened and her mother came in with a smile, holding out the phone.

"It's Bo, honey. He says he wants to talk to you."

Surprised, but pleased, Sarah Beth took the phone. Before answering, however, she stood up and gave her mother a hug and a whispered expression of gratitude. Grinning at her mom's surprised face, Sarah Beth closed the door and answered the phone.

"Bo?"

"Look, I'm sorry I snapped at ya, Sarah Beth," Bo said quickly, jumping in before she had too much of a chance to hang up. "An' I don't want you to get mad, but you gotta realize how frustratin' it's been for everyone else-"

"No, you're right, Bo," Sarah Beth cut in, rubbing her forehead. "I know I've been horrible the last few weeks… I'm sorry. I really am. And honestly," she said suddenly, lowering her voice and glancing around. "I'm kinda glad you just up an' told me what I needed to hear. Mama an' Daddy are still treatin' me like I'm gonna break at any time."

"Oh…" Bo was thrown off slightly. He had expected her to put up an argument, to fight back with him, but she was being delightfully understanding. Not that he was about to complain. "Well, you _were_ kinda actin' like you might break at any time," he pointed out truthfully.

"I know, I know," Sarah Beth sighed. "And I cain't promise that things'll ever be the way they used to be… I'm still scared, but I'm tryin' real hard, Bo."

"I know, an' I'm proud of ya," Bo said sincerely. "Look, I know ya don't wanna go to prom anymore, but… I just thought I'd remind you that it was tomorrow. Case ya changed your mind, ya know?"

Sarah Beth chewed her lip, unsure. She _was_ feeling much better, but well enough for this? Sensing her hesitation, Bo continued.

"Regardless of whatcha wanna do, Sarah Beth, I just really wanted to call an' tell ya that… I love you."

Tears sprang unbidden to Sarah Beth's eyes, and the last bit of hurt that she had held inside came free. "I love you, too, Bo," she whispered softly. "And I'd really like it, goin' to prom with you."

"Great!" Bo exclaimed happily, and Sarah Beth had to smile at his enthusiasm. "Great, well… I'll pick ya up tomorrow night then, ok?"

"Ok," Sarah Beth said, taking a deep breath. "I'll… I'll be ready."

By the next morning, though, Sarah Beth was starting to feel less sure of herself. After so long of sitting in front of the mirror examining her own hated reflection, she now found herself drawn to the mirror every time she passed it. She just didn't know anymore… she had to talk to Bo.

Across the county, Bo answered the phone with relief. One more way to delay getting outside to help Uncle Jesse re-fence the back forty!

"Duke farm," Bo said, trying not to smile as Jesse glared at him, impatient to get to work.

"Bo," he heard Sarah Beth say seriously. "Bo, are ya sure ya still wanna go to the prom with me tonight?"

"What?" Bo demanded. "Of course I still wanna go with ya! Why the heck wouldn't I?"

"Bo, I don't have any hair…"

"Sarah Beth, that don't matter to me none," Bo interrupted firmly.

"They're gonna laugh."

"Yeah, some might," Bo conceded honestly. No point in sugar-coating it. "But I don't care. I wanna go with you. An' I really hope ya still wanna go with me. You ain't tryin' to get out of bein' seen with me, are ya?" he asked jokingly.

"Course not!" Sarah Beth answered with a giggle. "Bo…thanks."

"Quarter to seven," Bo reminded her, grinning into the phone. "I'll be there to pick ya up, alright?"

"Ok," Sarah Beth sighed. "I'll see ya tonight then."

Bo hung up the phone, then sat quietly for a minute. He stayed there, lost in thought, until Uncle Jesse nudged him gently.

"Everythin' alright, Bo?" Jesse asked. Bo blinked, coming back to reality.

"Yes, sir," he answered. "Sarah Beth thought I wouldn't wanna go to prom with her cause of the cancer makin' her lose her hair." He sighed. "I wish there was somethin' I could do to help her out, make her see she's still beautiful…" He trailed off, an idea suddenly forming in his mind.

"Uncle Jesse," he said slowly. "Can that fence mendin' wait 'til tomorrow? There's somethin' I gotta do before prom tonight."

Jesse studied his nephew, trying to figure out what he was up to. But even Bo wouldn't use his girlfriend's condition to get out of doing work. He must be serious.

"Reckon that'd be fine. Just be sure ya finish up the rest of your chores first, mind you."

"Already done," Bo said with a grin, already on his way out the door. "Bye, Uncle Jesse!"

"You be careful now, ya hear?" Jesse called back out of habit. He shook his head. The things that his youngins got up to. Putting his hat back on the nail by the kitchen door, Jesse headed for his newspaper. He wasn't sure what his youngest one had planned, but he was sure he'd find out soon enough.

**01 01 01 **

"Mama, I don't think I can do this," Sarah Beth whispered, standing in front of the mirror. Bo would be there soon, but she just wasn't ready for him. The dress was elegant enough – a deep green evening gown with silver embroidery that her mother had made for her the year before – but she still didn't feel pretty. And Bo hadn't seen her yet. "What if he takes one look an' changes his mind?"

"Don't talk nonsense," her mom chided her, rubbing her shoulders. "Ol' Jesse Duke raised a fine young man. Bo's still gonna love ya."

"Why?" Sarah Beth asked bitterly, staring at her bald head. "I'm hideous."

"No, baby." Taking her by the arm, her mom spun her around to face her. "You're beautiful."

Sarah Beth smiled through wet eyes up at her mother and gave her a grateful hug. From downstairs they suddenly heard the doorbell ring.

"Quarter to seven!" Sarah Beth gasped, looking at the clock on the shelf. "It's Bo!" Panicking suddenly, she tried to run for the bathroom, fully intending to lock herself in for the rest of her life.

"Oh no, you don't," her mom exclaimed, catching her. "Get yourself down there."

Sarah Beth listened as her father opened the door and greeted Bo, then called up the stairs for her. With an encouraging nod from her mother, Sarah Beth took a deep, shaky breath and slowly descended the stairwell. She could see Bo in the hallway and had to stifle a giggle… Bo _would_ be the one to show up for prom in a tuxedo and a baseball cap.

Then she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh, my," Sarah Beth's mother whispered, as both parents followed their daughter into the hall. Sarah Beth couldn't say anything. She could only stand, staring mutely with her heart caught in her throat, as Bo slowly pulled the off the cap.

Knowing that both her parents were also crying softly behind her, Sarah Beth stepped towards Bo, a moist droplet sliding down her cheek as she reached up.

For, where his gorgeous blonde waves had been just that morning, she touched only skin.

"Bo," she whispered. She knew both that Bo was well aware of how universally loved by the girls his hair was in Hazzard, and that he loved the attention it gave him. For him to cut it off… "You… you would shave your hair off for me?"

Cupping Sarah Beth's chin in his hand, Bo looked her in the eyes and answered with all the love in his heart. "Sarah Beth, I'd do anythin' in the world for ya. I'd give ya my life… what's a little bit of hair next to that?"

Choking back a sob, Sarah Beth threw her arms around Bo, nestling herself deep into his arms. Bo felt another hand on his back and saw that Sarah Beth's father was standing beside him.

"God bless ya, son," he whispered to the young Duke.

"Thank you, sir," Bo said quietly. He pulled Sarah Beth away and smiled down at her, gently wiping the tears off her face. "Come on," he grinned. "Let's go to prom."

Sarah Beth nodded happily and together they hurried down the drive to where Uncle Jesse's pickup stood waiting. Bo hurried to help her up into the passenger side and slammed the door shut, then jumped into the driver's seat.

Sarah Beth's parents waved them off from the front porch. Putting a hand around his wife's waist, Sarah Beth's father smiled, the first real smile he'd been able to manage in quite some time. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression… acceptance. His baby girl was going to be ok.

**01 01 01**

By the time they got to the prom, the dance floor was filled with couples. Sarah Beth hesitated at the door, but Bo took her hand and pulled her confidently inside, straight to the middle of the gymnasium, where they started dancing. As they passed, people stopped what they were doing to look at the odd couple. Bo kept looking straight ahead, but he could still see out of the corner of his eyes as more than one girl sighed with disappointment to see his wavy blonde hair gone.

"They're all starin'," Sarah Beth whispered self-consciously as Bo held her close, swaying to the music.

"Let 'em stare," he whispered back, kissing the top of her head. "They's just jealous cause I got me the most beautiful girl in Hazzard here tonight."

Looking up at Bo, Sarah Beth smiled, her eyes sparkling the way they had before. Leaning into him, Sarah Beth continued dancing, her cares and worries slipping away. Life _would_ go on… she could finally accept the fact. For at least a moment, just that one moment, she was with Bo, and she wasn't scared.

The End

_Skin-_

_Sarah Beth is scared to death  
To hear what the doctor will say  
She hasn't been well  
Since the day that she fell  
And the bruises just won't go away  
So she sits and see waits with her mother and dad  
Flips through an old magazine  
Till the nurse with a smile  
Stands at the door  
And says Will you please come with me_

_Sarah Beth is scared to death  
Cause the doctor just told her the news  
Between the red cells and white  
Something's not right  
But we're gonna take care of you  
Six chances in ten it won't come back again  
With the therapy we're gonna try  
It's just been approved  
It's the strongest there is  
I think we caught it in time  
Sarah Beth closes her eyes_

_She dreams she's dancing  
Around and around without any cares  
And her very first love is holding her close  
And the soft wind is blowing her hair_

_Sarah Beth is scared to death  
As she sits holding her mom  
Says it would be a mistake  
For someone to take  
A girl with no hair to the prom  
Oh, just this morning right there on her pillow  
Was the cruelest of any surprise  
And she cried when she gathered it all in her hands  
The proof that she couldn't deny  
Sarah Beth closes her eyes_

_She dreams she's dancing  
Around and around without any cares  
And her very first love is holding her close  
And the soft wind is blowing her hair_

_It's a quarter to 7  
That boy's at the door  
Her daddy ushers him in  
And when he takes off his cap  
They all start to cry  
Cuz this morning where his hair had been  
Softly she touches just skin_

_They go dancing  
Around and around without any cares  
And her very first true love is holding her close  
And for a moment she isn't scared._

_-Rascal Flatts_

_

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A/N: Review if you liked it! Thanks everyone!_


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